TY  - JOUR
A1  - Abeysekara, A. U.
A1  - Archambault, S.
A1  - Archer, A.
A1  - Benbow, W.
A1  - Bird, R.
A1  - Buchovecky, M.
A1  - Buckley, J. H.
A1  - Byrum, K.
A1  - Cardenzana, J. V.
A1  - Cerruti, M.
A1  - Chen, Xuhui
A1  - Christiansen, J. L.
A1  - Ciupik, L.
A1  - Cui, W.
A1  - Dickinson, H. J.
A1  - Eisch, J. D.
A1  - Errando, M.
A1  - Falcone, A.
A1  - Fegan, D. J.
A1  - Feng, Q.
A1  - Finley, J. P.
A1  - Fleischhack, H.
A1  - Fortin, P.
A1  - Fortson, L.
A1  - Furniss, A.
A1  - Gillanders, G. H.
A1  - Griffin, S.
A1  - Grube, J.
A1  - Gyuk, G.
A1  - Huetten, M.
A1  - Hakansson, Nils
A1  - Hanna, D.
A1  - Holder, J.
A1  - Humensky, T. B.
A1  - Johnson, C. A.
A1  - Kaaret, P.
A1  - Kar, P.
A1  - Kelley-Hoskins, N.
A1  - Kertzman, M.
A1  - Kieda, D.
A1  - Krause, M.
A1  - Krennrich, F.
A1  - Kumar, S.
A1  - Lang, M. J.
A1  - Lin, T. T. Y.
A1  - Maier, G.
A1  - McArthur, S.
A1  - McCann, A.
A1  - Meagher, K.
A1  - Moriarty, P.
A1  - Mukherjee, R.
A1  - Nieto, D.
A1  - Ong, R. A.
A1  - Otte, A. N.
A1  - Park, N.
A1  - Perkins, J. S.
A1  - Petrashyk, A.
A1  - Pohl, Martin
A1  - Popkow, A.
A1  - Pueschel, Elisa
A1  - Quinn, J.
A1  - Ragan, K.
A1  - Ratliff, G.
A1  - Reynolds, P. T.
A1  - Richards, G. T.
A1  - Roache, E.
A1  - Santander, M.
A1  - Sembroski, G. H.
A1  - Shahinyan, K.
A1  - Staszak, D.
A1  - Telezhinsky, Igor O.
A1  - Tucci, J. V.
A1  - Tyler, J.
A1  - Vincent, S.
A1  - Wakely, S. P.
A1  - Weiner, O. M.
A1  - Weinstein, A.
A1  - Williams, D. A.
A1  - Zitzer, B.
T1  - A SEARCH FOR BRIEF OPTICAL FLASHES ASSOCIATED WITH THE SETI TARGET KIC 8462852
JF  - The astrophysical journal : an international review of spectroscopy and astronomical physics ; Part 2, Letters
N2  - The F-type star KIC. 8462852 has recently been identified as an exceptional target for search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) observations. We describe an analysis methodology for optical SETI, which we have used to analyze nine hours of serendipitous archival observations of KIC. 8462852 made with the VERITAS gamma-ray observatory between 2009 and 2015. No evidence of pulsed optical beacons, above a pulse intensity at the Earth of approximately 1 photon m(-2), is found. We also discuss the potential use of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescope arrays in searching for extremely short duration optical transients in general.
KW  - astrobiology
KW  - extraterrestrial intelligence
KW  - methods: observational
KW  - stars: individual ( KIC 8462852)
KW  - techniques: photometric
Y1  - 2016
U6  - https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8205/818/2/L33
SN  - 2041-8205
SN  - 2041-8213
VL  - 818
PB  - IOP Publ. Ltd.
CY  - Bristol
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Martinez Gonzalez, M. J.
A1  - Pastor Yabar, A.
A1  - Lagg, A.
A1  - Asensio Ramos, A.
A1  - Collados Vera, M.
A1  - Solanki, S. K.
A1  - Balthasar, H.
A1  - Berkefeld, T.
A1  - Denker, Carsten
A1  - Doerr, H. P.
A1  - Feller, A.
A1  - Franz, M.
A1  - González Manrique, Sergio Javier
A1  - Hofmann, A.
A1  - Kneer, F.
A1  - Kuckein, Christoph
A1  - Louis, R.
A1  - von der Lühe, O.
A1  - Nicklas, H.
A1  - Orozco, D.
A1  - Rezaei, R.
A1  - Schlichenmaier, R.
A1  - Schmidt, D.
A1  - Schmidt, W.
A1  - Sigwarth, M.
A1  - Sobotka, M.
A1  - Soltau, D.
A1  - Staude, J.
A1  - Strassmeier, Klaus G.
A1  - Verma, Meetu
A1  - Waldman, T.
A1  - Volkmer, R.
T1  - Inference of magnetic fields in the very quiet Sun
JF  - Journal of geophysical research : Earth surface
N2  - Context. Over the past 20 yr, the quietest areas of the solar surface have revealed a weak but extremely dynamic magnetism occurring at small scales (<500 km), which may provide an important contribution to the dynamics and energetics of the outer layers of the atmosphere. Understanding this magnetism requires the inference of physical quantities from high-sensitivity spectro-polarimetric data with high spatio-temporal resolution. Aims. We present high-precision spectro-polarimetric data with high spatial resolution (0.4") of the very quiet Sun at 1.56 mu m obtained with the GREGOR telescope to shed some light on this complex magnetism. Methods. We used inversion techniques in two main approaches. First, we assumed that the observed profiles can be reproduced with a constant magnetic field atmosphere embedded in a field-free medium. Second, we assumed that the resolution element has a substructure with either two constant magnetic atmospheres or a single magnetic atmosphere with gradients of the physical quantities along the optical depth, both coexisting with a global stray-light component. Results. Half of our observed quiet-Sun region is better explained by magnetic substructure within the resolution element. However, we cannot distinguish whether this substructure comes from gradients of the physical parameters along the line of sight or from horizontal gradients (across the surface). In these pixels, a model with two magnetic components is preferred, and we find two distinct magnetic field populations. The population with the larger filling factor has very weak (similar to 150 G) horizontal fields similar to those obtained in previous works. We demonstrate that the field vector of this population is not constrained by the observations, given the spatial resolution and polarimetric accuracy of our data. The topology of the other component with the smaller filling factor is constrained by the observations for field strengths above 250 G: we infer hG fields with inclinations and azimuth values compatible with an isotropic distribution. The filling factors are typically below 30%. We also find that the flux of the two polarities is not balanced. From the other half of the observed quiet-Sun area similar to 50% are two-lobed Stokes V profiles, meaning that 23% of the field of view can be adequately explained with a single constant magnetic field embedded in a non-magnetic atmosphere. The magnetic field vector and filling factor are reliable inferred in only 50% based on the regular profiles. Therefore, 12% of the field of view harbour hG fields with filling factors typically below 30%. At our present spatial resolution, 70% of the pixels apparently are non-magnetised.
KW  - Sun: atmosphere
KW  - Sun: magnetic fields
KW  - techniques: polarimetric
KW  - methods: observational
Y1  - 2016
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201628449
SN  - 1432-0746
VL  - 596
PB  - EDP Sciences
CY  - Les Ulis
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Gimenez-Garcia, Ana
A1  - Shenar, Tomer
A1  - Torrejon, J. M.
A1  - Oskinova, Lida
A1  - Martinez-Nunez, S.
A1  - Hamann, Wolf-Rainer
A1  - Rodes-Roca, J. J.
A1  - González-Galan, A.
A1  - Alonso-Santiago, J.
A1  - González-Fernández, C.
A1  - Bernabeu, Guillermo
A1  - Sander, Andreas Alexander Christoph
T1  - Measuring the stellar wind parameters in IGR J17544-2619 and Vela X-1 constrains the accretion physics in supergiant fast X-ray transient and classical supergiant X-ray binaries
JF  - Siberian Mathematical Journal
N2  - Aims. To close this gap, we perform a comparative analysis of the optical companion in two important systems: IGR J175442619 (SFXT) and Vela X-1 (SGXB). We analyze the spectra of each star in detail and derive their stellar and wind properties. As a next step, we compare the wind parameters, giving us an excellent chance of recognizing key differences between donor winds in SFXTs and SGXBs. Methods. We use archival infrared, optical and ultraviolet observations, and analyze them with the non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (NLTE) Potsdam Wolf-Rayet model atmosphere code. We derive the physical properties of the stars and their stellar winds, accounting for the influence of X-rays on the stellar winds. Results. We find that the stellar parameters derived from the analysis generally agree well with the spectral types of the two donors: O9I (IGR J17544-2619) and B0.5Iae (Vela X-1). The distance to the sources have been revised and also agree well with the estimations already available in the literature. In IGR J17544-2619 we are able to narrow the uncertainty to d = 3.0 +/- 0.2 kpc. From the stellar radius of the donor and its X-ray behavior, the eccentricity of IGR J17544-2619 is constrained to e < 0.25. The derived chemical abundances point to certain mixing during the lifetime of the donors. An important difference between the stellar winds of the two stars is their terminal velocities (v(infinity) = 1500 km s(-1) in IGR J17544-2619 and v(infinity) = 700 km s(-1) in Vela X-1), which have important consequences on the X-ray luminosity of these sources. Conclusions. The donors of IGR J17544-2619 and Vela X-1 have similar spectral types as well as similar parameters that physically characterize them and their spectra. In addition, the orbital parameters of the systems are similar too, with a nearly circular orbit and short orbital period. However, they show moderate differences in their stellar wind velocity and the spin period of their neutron star which has a strong impact on the X-ray luminosity of the sources. This specific combination of wind speed and pulsar spin favors an accretion regime with a persistently high luminosity in Vela X-1, while it favors an inhibiting accretion mechanism in IGR J17544-2619. Our study demonstrates that the relative wind velocity is critical in class determination for the HMXBs hosting a supergiant donor, given that it may shift the accretion mechanism from direct accretion to propeller regimes when combined with other parameters.
KW  - accretion, accretion disks
KW  - methods: observational
KW  - techniques: spectroscopic
KW  - stars: atmospheres
KW  - X-rays: binaries
KW  - stars: winds, outflows
Y1  - 2016
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201527551
SN  - 1432-0746
VL  - 591
PB  - EDP Sciences
CY  - Les Ulis
ER  -